Another Pakistani soldier dies as Kashmir border crisis continues

A Pakistani soldier has died after coming under fire from Indian troops in
Kashmir, according to Pakistan's military, in the latest tit-for-tat death
even as politicians tried to take the heat out of a developing border crisis.

The latest flare-up began on Sunday when Pakistan said one of its soldiers had been killed during an Indian incursion. It was followed with the deaths of two Indian soldiers and allegations that one had been beheaded.

Each side has registered their anger by summoning the other's high commissioners for a dressing down.

At the same time, both governments have insisted they will not let the skirmishes undermine recent progress on political, economic and sporting ties.

On Thursday, Hina Rabbani Khar, the Pakistani foreign minister, said: "Let me convey once again, even at this time, our commitment to normalise relations with India and when we say normalise relations with India we are talking about normalising in all aspects."

Relations between political leaders of both countries had been slowly improving, with senior ministers travelling back and forth for summits.

But tentative peace talks have made no progress on the issue of Kashmir and it remains a red-line issue for many populist politicians with an eye on elections looming in both countries.

Imtiaz Gul, an analyst based in Islamabad, said the result was a stand-off with neither side wanting to seem soft by backing down nor wanting to escalate a flash-point that could lead to war.